Paul's Reflections Third Sunday of Lent. A.

27th March, 2011      Third Sunday of Lent. A.

 

We have heard this gospel many times before, but, each time I hear it or read it, something new comes up.  This time, it struck me, that Jesus and the woman are initially on about quite different things in their discussion. 

 

There is clearly an ironic misunderstanding on the part of the woman, and an understandable one too….  The woman thinks Jesus is offering her a type of water than will never make one thirsty again, so she naturally says, 'oh yes please, give me this water, so I won't have to keep coming to this well.'  I wonder at what point did she realise that … 'oh, he's speaking spiritually… that is nice, but looks like I will still have to keep coming to this well, though!!''  in any case, she wasn't at all disappointed, because although we all need physical water, and we all need nourishment, people thirst for much more than that to be a whole and fulfilled person. And many who have their fill of food and water are still thirsting for the more lasting things that mean the most!!

 

"The Gospel (this weekend) invites us to meditate today and ponder on all the things for which long and for which we thirst.  There are many things people can thirst for…..  and some are good…  some are not……

Some people seem consumed by thirsting for money, others for power, others for physical relationships and others thirst just to have what they need for the day.  There are countless other thirsts that we humans have.

 

(to paraphrase a different passage of scripture, 'God knows we need the physical necessities of life…..   but)… he also asks, us  to recognize that (in the bigger scheme of things)….only God is worth thirsting for.  Ultimately, life has no other meaning than doing the will of God.  (in the long run)…..  only God matters. (and – of course -  all that is truly good, is of God).

 

Keeping our hearts set on God can happen when we are joyful and living our faith with great joy.  It can also happen when we are sad and suffering.  It can come to pass when we are criticised or maligned…. or when we are praised.  When we live in the Lord we know both how to feast and how to fast.

 

The first reading from the Book of Exodus tells the story of our Israelite ancestors longing and thirsting for water.  They wanted a physical water and it was given to them.  They still turned against God later on.  This tells us that we must always keep our eyes on the Lord so that we seek Him alone and not merely the physical realities of this world. (we also acknowledge how easy it is for us humans to forget the blessings we have received in the past). It is so important for us to remember God's gifts, mercies and help….  (in good times and even moreso in hard times)."  (1)

 

May our good desires and needs be met….   May our gospel-consistent thirsts be satisfied….  And may those that are not be thwarted.. and eventually may any thirst that is not lifegiving or of the gospel, may it cease to draw us….. 

 

Jesus' main desire to give, to serve…to love and to include….   His thirst was to share what he had with the Father with all people….  That is a very generous thirst that was all consuming for him….. It so very inspiring to see that (although we are told in the gospel passage that Jesus was tired and thirsty), his thirst to give people the good news of his Father and to give them a share in his Kingdom was more pressing than his physical needs.  Even when he was thirsty and tired, he couldn't stop speaking of what was even more important than meeting immediate needs.

 

This point is emphasised by the second reading. Jesus loves us so much that he does not do anything for want of repayment or reward. He does not act for the motive of what he can get out of a situation or what he can gain. In fact, St Paul points out that Jesus saved us when we were unworthy and sinful and not warranting any of the things he gave us, but for the fact that God loves and wants to save us and include us. This is wonderful news. May we respond by allowing God's Spirit of Love to be poured deeply into our hearts so that everything we do and say is motivated by a deep inner thirst to share God's love, without concern for repayment.

 

 

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REFERENCES:

 

• FR. PAUL W. KELLY
• (1) MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT. ABBOT'S HOMILY.

 

 

 

Paul's Reflections 20th March, 2011 Second Sunday of Lent - A

20th March, 2011      Second Sunday of Lent - A

 

In the gospel, we are told that Jesus shone like pure light…  and the aspect of his face we changed….   

 

In the Old Testament, we hear of Moses’ face shining with light after praying to God.

 

In the case of Jesus,  the transfiguration reveals what was the case all the time, but not always obvious…. That Jesus is truly God and truly human.  And that his glory as God would be revealed again in and through his suffering, death, resurrection and ascension.  It is also important to note that if we are to accept Jesus’ glorification, we must also accept the advice that went along with it… the voice from heaven tells us :  “this is my Son. I am well pleased with him. Listen to him.”  And we must also do what he tells us to do; (to live as he has taught us).

 

In the case of Moses, his shining face is slightly different.. unlike Jesus.. (whose light comes from within… its his inner nature)…  Moses’ shining face is a reflected light.  He radiates the joy and glory of God by reflecting that glory that he himself has experienced in his encounter with God; in his worship of God.

 

Even though these scriptural moments are exceptional and in many ways unique moments…  I truly believe that we Christians can (in a sense)  shine with the light of Christ in us….   We have received the light of Christ at our baptism… we are children of the Light….   We carry the light of Christ to all we meet…. 

 

We are called to shine that light for all to see, so that people can in turn worship God, the source of that light…

 

We have seen, throughout the generations, people whose lives have been truly transfigured by God’s love and grace…. They are people we have known who truly shine with God’s love and graciousness….  People who certainly do seem to radiate God’s love, forgiveness, compassion and kindness….. their faces almost literally shine…

 

And its not just a case of youth or health or good fortune that might be the source of this inner glow.. this radiating love….  I have met.. and I am sure you have too.. people who shine out with God’s love even though age, extreme ill health and misfortune are very much part of their daily lives…  it is nothing short of a miracle.. and it is truly God’s grace that shines out….

 

Sadly, we have probably all come across some who do not radiate this light.. this grace…   (who knows but God what is going on in their lives, perhaps that light is shining brightly deep down and we mere humans can’t see it… but God can always see it.. and kindle it….)…..… but we pray for those we see in this situation, who do not (by their actions, their attitudes, their behaviour) radiate the light and love of Christ to those they meet. Again it is not necessarily related to health or fortune…. There have been some very healthy, fortunate and comfortable people who sadly seem to radiated almost a gloomy, self-focused, almost stingy persona…. / while others whom people think have nothing to be positive about can nevertheless inspire us with such graciousness and care.. that it lights up our day..//      You may have even met a person you knew after many years absence, only to notice that they are now ‘different’  but not always in a good way.. they seem less glowing…   more self-absorbed… more gloomy….  (its almost as thought their journey to wholeness and fullness of personhood that God calls us to… has gone backwards…….)…… (and I am not speaking of those who bravely battle debilitating illness or depression or physical or other conditions)…..   rather…  It’s as though they have gone down the wrong path, perhaps even following a priority or an indulgence that at the time seemed attractive.. only to find (or perhaps not even realise themselves) that it was a dead end…  and  instead of turning back… they seem to pitch their tent and stay there…   almost desperately scratching whatever they can for themselves but radiating grimness/ the light of Christ’s love and service seem hard to fathom….  

 

It is never too late for us to turn back from dead-end paths….  To connect deeply with Christ, the source of our light and joy…..    to turn away from all that is a false source of true and lasting wholeness, joy and fulfilment.

 

May this lent enlighten all of us, so that we may, no matter what our situation, radiate God’s love and light to all …  / May the light of Christ expose all those dark and false areas of our life that absorb us and lead us away from the true source of fulfilment… (which is always God’s love and sacrificing service)…… 

 

After all, this is our calling, this is the gift God gives to us…. And this is our final destiny…  to be with God, in Jesus, who is light from light!!! 

 

 

 

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REFERENCES:

 

<![if !supportLists]>·       <![endif]>FR. PAUL W. KELLY

 

 

Paul's Reflections Homily. 1st Sunday of Lent. Cycle A:

Homily. 1st Sunday of Lent.  Cycle A:

The Dead Sea, along the Jordan Valley, not far from where Jesus was Baptised,

and where he then went into the wilderness to fast and pray.

(insert pictures here)

Might Jesus have taken a swim in this Sea, from which one could not drink, but which looks so inviting?

 

Our Lenten journey of Prayer, penance and acts of practical charity and love, has well and truly begun…….    And what better way to begin than with the wonderful scene of Jesus being ‘led by the Spirit’ out into the bleak, uninviting wilderness of the desert for 40 days… where he neither ate not drank…….   When I was in the dead sea it struck me….   I reckon Jesus came and swam here….  Its cool, its relaxing its beautiful….  The waters are inviting… but they are deadly….  You cannot drink it…    we were told…  taste it.. its unbelievable..  so I dipped my finger into the salt water and took the tiniest taste…..     it was like battery acid….  The smallest amount janged away in my mouth so that by the time I got out of the water … I rushed up to me room and washed my mouth out several times…     yecchhhh!!!!!!   One of the few luxuries Jesus probably had was to swim in the waters that Cleopatra once came to for its therapeutic and health qualities…..      but it would not have satisfied any deep thirst or hunger either physically or spiritually…. 

 

The gospel says that Jesus was tempted in three ways….

 

 “These three temptations presented to us in the Gospel today speak of hunger, spirituality and power. 

 

We humans hunger after many things, not just food.  We have all kinds of appetites and Lent is a good time to recognize the appetites that run our lives or are most important in our lives.  For some people, it is the hunger for recognition.  For others, it may be a hunger to be better than others.  Another person may hunger for an emotional relationship.  Some people hunger after money.//   Whatever appetites we have, we are more able to work with them for God’s glory if we recognize them and how they work within us.

 

Spirituality is a wonderful gift for all of us.  On the other hand, we must be sure that it is “Gospel spirituality” and not something else, (something indulgent).  The basic spirituality of the Gospel is loving others and being willing to serve them, even when they reject us or despise us (and even when we get nothing out of it ourselves).  The devil in today’s Gospel is pushing a spirituality of the miraculous.  Surely God will save the Lord.  That is never in question.  But the Lord recognizes that His Father wants Him to act normally and to embrace a normal spirituality.  If God has not given a very special gift to someone, and a gift that is verified by others as being truly of God, then that person should never presume to put God to the test.  …God can do the wonders, but that is a free gift to us at a time and place of God’s initiation and desire, not ours.  When we insist on the miraculous, we misunderstand God.1.

 

And we humans can have the unfortunate habit of constantly wanting God to prove his love, his care and his presence to us…..    many know how a healthy relationship can slowly but surely be chipped away by a person constantly questioning and demanding signs that the other person loves them, and cares for them….  It becomes a form of distrust that pushes the beloved far away…..   we can distance ourselves from God in the same way…..   we need to keep trusting in the truth of God’s closeness to us… and that God only ever wants what is for our good (always)…

 

“To anyone who thinks God is remote and aloof, let them read today's Genesis account of Creation. How close is God? Imagine this: God bends low to the earth and scoops up handfuls of clay. He works the clay, forms it, shapes it, sculpts it into human form. Then, leaning close, he breathes heavily into the nostrils of this clay figure, and this first human comes alive. If you've ever worked in clay you know that it gets on your hands and your fingerprints are all over it. It's perhaps the most intimate art form imaginable. That's how close and connected and intimate God is with all of humanity. His breath still animates us every moment of  our life.” 2.

 

Power is such an illusion and such a temptation.  Jesus tells us that the only real power is the power of love.  The devil offers a different kind of power, the power of dominion.  Dominion is when I insist that you work for my good rather than my looking for your good.  True love is a willing of the good of the other person in preference to my own good.  True love always accepts sacrifices on my part for the good of the other person.  Dominion expects the other person to sacrifice themselves for me. 

 

The first reading, from the Book of Genesis, simply confirms that from the beginning there has been this tension among humans about whether we really want to serve or do we want others, including God, to serve us. 

 

The second reading, from the Letter to the Romans, is clear that the only way to regain the spiritual and moral freedom, (that Adam and Eve had before their fall), is to obey Jesus Christ and live in love.

 

May this Lent help each one of us understand what we must do to love more and to live in Christ.”1.

 

 

 

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<![if !supportLists]>1.     <![endif]>The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily for March 9 2011. 1st Sunday of Lent. Abbot Philip. OSB.

<![if !supportLists]>2.     <![endif]>Prepare the Word Resource. “How Close is God” From resources for 13^th March, 2011.

 

 

Paul's Reflections Ash Wednesday 2011 (8/3/2011)

ASH WEDNESDAY -- 

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be at the place in the desert region in what is now the country of Jordan. I saw and touched the Jordan river where John the Baptist was baptizing…. 

And recalled that after Jesus was baptized the voice of his Heavenly Father said… “this is my son, my beloved….  I am well pleased with him… listen to him….”….   so, what did Jesus do next….    He felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness for 40 days…..    probably because the love and favour of God was everything……    if he had that… then fame, fortune, possessions and influence meant nothing……..    and the wilderness… the desert reminded him of his total connection to his Father in heaven, and the need to get reject anything that was not of his Father …..   If people were to listen to him.. he must speak ONLY that which comes from his Father’s will …. His father’s word….. this needed a deep time of preparation and prayer…. And letting go of all but that which lasts…….

The thing about possessions is -  do we really own them?  or do they start owning us……    the more we can possess… the more we start to want….. 

the more we possess… the more we worry about protecting, guarding, fearing losing of things….. it becomes a real catch-twenty two…

someone once told me that there is a psychological principle that it takes about six weeks for a habit to become normal. Lent is a period of six weeks give to the church by God….  As a time of fostering positive habits of prayer, self-denial and giving in time or resources for worthy causes… to build up spiritual health…. and foster habits that are so natural that literally our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing.

I started with a tautology… so I will finish with one….   I read a quote yesterday.. that I believe is true but it is also a bit unfathomable… it said…  “the only things that we actually keep are the things we give away…”…  in one sense that sounds like a nonsensical contradiction…  but God’s thinking is not like human’s so maybe there is something in it….   we only really know we own something, when we are free enough to let go of it…..    or perhaps it means something deeper…… the only things worth possessing are the things that only make sense when given….  they do nothing if stored… like love, given freely without expectation, kindness and forgiveness without expectation of return….    acts of charity not for recognition or approval…..      random acts of kindness that no one will ever know we are the perpetrators of…//  I read a maxim once upholding that there is a odd economic principle associated with love -- the more love you give away, the more love you have.  It defies all other economic principles.

The gospel has a lot of wisdom in it… those things done for no other reason but love of God and not for anything else…   call us to a deep inner movement of the heart towards God because it does not get any other reward but to serve and love God in each other… actions for the glory and praise of God alone…

so, let’s make this time of lent a wonderful, Joyfilled time of self-denial and making space for God… fostering positive habits for the year round….    and may God who has begun this good work in us.. bring it to perfection… in the secret of our own hearts….

Paul's Reflections 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. Pre-Lenten message

This weekend, the Weekend prior to Ash Wednesday, the Archbishop has issued his annual Lenten Message.

Lenten

Pastoral Message

 

 

from

 

 

Most Rev John Bathersby DD

Archbishop of Brisbane

 

to

 

the People of the Archdiocese

_____________________

 

To be read at all Masses in the Archdiocese

on the weekend of

5th & 6th March 2011

 

 

 

My dear people,

 

W

e are approaching the great season of Lent provided by the Church to remind us of our faith, and if possible deepen it.  Like Christmas and Easter the Church gives us time to prepare for all its seasons.  Advent prepares us for Christmas, and Lent for Easter.  At the present time the Catholic Church continues to grow throughout the world, its membership now greater than a billion people.  Sadly however, although our numbers grow strongly in Africa and South America they do not always increase in our rather secular Western world.  Pope Benedict XVI is aware of this and has challenged the Catholic Church to seek in every way possible to evangelise Christians who may have drifted away from the Church, or people who have never had the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, communicated through the Church and scripture.  Too often we forget the sheer blessing that God gives us in this precious season of Lent. 

 

I

n the long history of the Church, Lent was introduced by the Council of Nicea in 325, forty days before Easter.  The time chosen seems to have been based on the forty fasting days of Moses, Elijah and especially Jesus. was a time not only of fasting, but also of prayer, and of giving alms to the poor when possible.  Its overall task was to make all of us holy that we can understand and celebrate the feast of Easter that is quickly approaching. of the greatest gifts of Lent is deepening our faith, perhaps by saving money for those people who badly in recent floods, perhaps by giving money to the poor people of the world organised Caritas, perhaps participating in one of the prayer groups e.g. “Heart to Heart” prepared for Lent, or simply celebrating  Mass  more  frequently  than we normally do. 

 

Until we meet God face to face we will have no idea of the precious gift of the Mass that we too often take for granted.  Mass is the re-presentation of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We cannot possibly celebrate Mass attentively without becoming better people because of it.  We meet Jesus in many different ways, but Mass is the supreme meeting place.  We must never take for granted the magnificent gift of the Eucharist that Jesus gave to us before His life, death and resurrection.  In our somewhat secular world today it is so easy to drift away from the faith.  Belief is too precious to be regarded as just a minor part of life. 

 

I

 hope that Lent 2011 will be a special time for all people who love God or are searching for God.  Faith is too good to overlook, as Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come to bring you life and life in its fullness.”  Being faith-filled people doesn’t make us miserable.  It helps us rejoice in life despite the crosses we have to carry.  Please God the Holy Spirit will help us experience fullness of life in Lent, while Mary, the mother of Jesus, will pray in a special way for us at this time so that we can understand her Son even more deeply. 

 

May God bless you all.

 

 

Sincerely in Christ,

 

ARCHBISHOP OF BRISBANE

 

 

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Extra reflection for the 9^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A. From the Abbot of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert.

 

The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     9th Sunday of Ordinary Time

     Cycle A

     2011

 

 

FIRST READING

Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, 32 11:18, 26-28, 32

 

Moses told the people:  “Take these words of mine into your heart and soul.

 Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a pendant on your forehead.  “I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse:  a blessing for obeying the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, but turn aside from the way I ordain for you today, to follow other gods, whom you have not known.”

 

 

SECOND READING

Romans 3:21-25, 28

 

Brothers and sisters, now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.  They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood.  For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

 

 

GOSPEL  Cycle A

Matthew 7:21-27

 

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’

will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?  Did we not drive out demons in your name?  Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’  Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’  “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

 

 

My sisters and brothers in Christ,

 

There is a contrast given to us today between the person who takes the word of God into his or her heart and soul and acts on it and the person who simply speaks the word of God but does not live it.  In our hearts there is the struggle to do God’s word faithfully. 

 

The first reading today, from the Book of Deuteronomy, puts so eloquently what God wants of us:  Take these words of mine into your heart and soul.

The author of this book goes on to give us some tips about how to remember these words so that we can take them into our heart and soul.  He tells us to bind them on our wrists and put them on our foreheads.  In our present day secular culture, people often put notes on their computers or on their doors or on their mirrors.  This reading raises in us the question of how we try to remember the word of God and bring it fully into our hearts and our souls.

 

The Letter to the Romans, from which comes our second reading, puts its focus on faith:  we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  We could ask a question very similar to one that Jesus poses elsewhere:  who has faith?  The one who does the works of faith or the one who only speaks about it?

 

The Gospel of Matthew today also poses this same question about belief.

The Gospel tells us that doing mighty works is not enough.  Even doing mighty works in the name of the Lord is not enough.  We must believe from our heart and soul.

 

So today we are invited to become followers of Christ in a totally committed way, both believing and doing.  Doing, by itself, is no good.

Believing without acting on the belief is not belief.  Let us believe and do!

 

 

Your brother in the Lord,

Abbot Philip, OSB

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